Cigarette case



will...

Oct. 4, 1960 w. H. P. TACKE 2,954,867

CIGARETTE CASE Filed Dec. 8, 1958 '5' NVENTO g/@/fyw r M M rromvff/S.

Patented Oct. 4, 1960 yCIGARE'I'IE oAsn William H. P. Tacke, Slinger, Wis., assigner to Enger- Kress Company, West Bend, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Dec. 8, 1958, "Ser. No. 778,901

'4 Claims. (.Cl..20`6-41) terferes with the simultaneous opening of the two covers and .frequently causes the package top to be torn or disengaged from the body. Also, quite .often the cover of the outer case will slip oif of the cover of the inner package and open independently of the latter. Moreover, lwith the conventional integral construction where the cover is attached to the case body, the presence of said cover hinders the ready insertion and removal of cigarette Apackages from the case,

With the above in mind, therefore, the general object of the present invention is to provide a two-piece case wherein the co-ver has an integral hinge extension and can :be removed from the case body to permit the expeditious insertion or removal of a cigarette package, and wherein longitudinal movement of the cover during hinging is permitted so that the cover of the outer case may move Vwith the cigarette package cover when the latter is opened, thereby minimizing strain on the members and allowin-g the two to be opened simultaneously.

A further object of the present invention is to provide -a two-piece cigarette case as described, wherein the cover portion of `said case is provided with means for increasing the frictional engagement of the outer cover with the cover of an inserted Hip-top cigarette package to insure the `opening of said covers' together.

A further specific object is to provide a cigarette case as described wherein the cover portion of said case overlaps the upper front edge of the ease body to facilitate the manual gripping and opening of said cover.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cigarette case which is unusually attractive and stylish, and which is designed to enhance the appearance of the conventional flip-top cigarette package.

Still Ifurther objects of the present invention are to provide a case which protects a cigarette package, which eifectively seals cigarettes therein against losses of aroma and moisture content, and which case prevents loose tobacco form spilling into the pocket or purse of the user.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention cons-ists of the improved cigarette case, and all of its parts and combinations, as set forth in the claims and all equivalents thereof.

In the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this specication, wherein is shown one complete embodiment of the preferred form of the invention, and wherein like reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the views:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the removable top :po-r tion of the case;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the body of the case;

Fig. 3 is a perspecive view of the assembled case with a flip-top cigarette package shown in position therein;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the case with a cigarette package shown in full therein.

Fig. 5 is a front elevational view of the case, with -a part of the cover being broken away and shown in section.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the numeral lll indicates the body portion ofthe cigarette case comprising the `present invention. Saidbody includes a front wall di, rear wal-l `12 -side walls 13,and:a bottom 14. As `will be `seen in Fig. 3, the rear" wallY 12 is somewhat longer than Ithe front wall 11, the -upper edge 11 of said front wall being lower than the upper edge 12; of the rear wall when the case is in an upright position, and t'ie upper edges 13 `of the side walls .being angled accordingly. The case maybe formed of a suitably reinforced leather or of various other materials having eye appeal.

The case body 10 is of a size to -slidably receive and snugly hold the body portion of a ip-'top=cigarette box or package, such as the package 15 -in Fig; 3, the upper edges of said case body being sligttly below the corresponding edges of the package when the `latter `is fully inserted in said case.

The cover portion 16 of the case is illustrated in Fig. l yand includes a front wall 17, rear Wall 18, side walls 19, and ,la top 20. Generally complementary to the oblique upper edges of the :sides of the body top `portion, Aas .hereinbefore described, the front wall of said cover is longer than the rear wall 18, the lower edge 17' of said front wall being substantially below the lower -edge 18 of the rear wall when .the cover is in its closed position on the case body,

As will be seen in Figs. 4 and 5, the lower edge portions of the cover 16 are designed to overlap the front and side walls of the body 10, the front Wall 17 of said cover being slightly wider :than the corresponding wall 11 of the body to permit the latter to t therein. The cover rear wal118 is of the same width as the -body rear wall 12, the lower edge 18 of said cover wall abutting the upper ledge 12 of the body rear wall.

Secured tothe inside of the cover top and rear wall is a flexible tongue 21, preferably of leather or artificial leather, which extends downwardly from said .rear wall and which is adapted to be projected into the case body 10 when the cover is mounted on said body. `In its preferred form, said tongue is of approximately the same dimensions as the body rear wall 12, although slightly smaller, of course, to permit its insertion into the body opening.

As will be seen in Fig. l, the inside of the front and sides of the cover 16 is provided with a lining 22, of sponge rubber or other friction material, which is designed to frictionally engage and retain the cover of a Hip-top cigarettte box when such a cover is mounted therein. Said lining is preferably affixed to the inner surfaces of both the front and side walls of said cover and preferably extends from the top to a point spaced from the lower edges thereof, the space 23 between the lining and the edge of the cover provided so that the sponge rubber lining does not interfere with closing of the covers.

In the use of the present invention, the cover 16 is lirst withdrawn from the case body 10, as in Fig. 1, and mounted on a cigarette package of the type having a hinged top 24, or so-called Hip-top box. The cigarette package, together with the tongue 21 depending from the case cover, is then inserted into the body of the case, said tongue being slidably retained between the rear wall of the case and package. When it is desired to open the package, the lower front edge 17 of the case cover may be easily manually grasped, because of its position overlapping the upper edge of the body as hereinbefore described, and the inter-fitting covers swung upwardly to an open position. The sponge rubber lining 22 onl the inner surfaces of the case cover frictionally engages and retains the inserted package cover 24 and insures that said covers swing togther when the case is opened.

As will be readily appreciated, the slidable nature of the tongue 21 within the case permits the case cover 16 to move longitudinally with respect to the case body. This enables said case cover and the ilexing line of the tongue to raise slightly during the opening operation and to adjust to the movement of the flip-top box cover -when the latter is swung upwardly to an open position. It has been found that this construction reduces the rending force normally exerted on the cover hinges and greatly increases the life of the members as well as facili- 'tati'ng the opening of the case.

When it is desired to remove the cigarette package, the package, together with the Vcover 16 mounted thereon, and together with the tongue 21 depending from said cover, may be slid simultaneously from the case body, the cover being thereafter removed from the package. Said cover may then be mounted on a new package and the unit inserted into the case body, the separable nature of the case members making the insertion and removal of ciparette packages a relatively simple procedure `In its preferred form, the cigarette case comprising the present invention is formed of reinforced leather, which makes an unusually attractive and stylish item, but it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made in both the design of said case and the materials used therein without departing from the spirit of the invention. All of such changes and modifications are contemplated as may come within the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. A case for cigarette packages of the type having a hinged top comprising a body of a size and shape to receive the body of a'cigarette package of said type, a cover of a size and shape to receive the cigarette package top, said cover having a top and having downwardly flanged walls including a front wall; means on said cover opposite said front wall hingedly and longitudinally-movably mounting the same on the case body to hinge simultaneously with the hinge top of a cigarette package of the type heretofore referred to, and friction gripping means on at least one of said downwardly anged walls within the case cover positioned to engage a portion of a cigarette package top when the latter is inserted therein to insure opening of the latter with the case cover.

" 2. A case for cigarette packages of the type having a hinged top comprising a hollow body of a size to receive the body of a cigarette package, said body having a front wall, a separable cover of a size to slip over a cigarette package top, said cover having a top portion and having downwardly anged portions, friction means on one of said cover hanged portions positioned to frictionally engage a corresponding portion of a package top, and means projecting from said caser-cover for pivotally and longitudinally-movably mounting the same on the case body with the vfront 0fY said case cover overlapping the front wall of said case body. Y Y

3. In combination with a cigarette package-of the type having a hinged top, a case'comprising a body having front, rear` and side w`alls, and having arbottom, said rear wall being longer than'the' front wall; a separable cover having front, rear and side walls and having a top, with said front wall longer and wider than the rear wall whereby the front and side walls of the cover will overlap the corresponding Walls of said body; and a flexible tongue attached to and depending from the rear wall of said cover, said tongue being removably positioned in said body and positioned to be longitudinally slidably retained between the body rear wall and the rear Wall of the cigarette package mounted in said body, the slidable nature of said tongue permitting the attached cover to adjust longitudinally when the hinged cover of the cigarette package therein is swung upwardly to an open position.

4. In combination with a cigarette package of the type having a hinged top, a case comprising a body having front,'rear and side walls, and having a bottom, said rear wall being longer than the front wall; a separable cover having front, rear and side walls, and a top, said cover front wall being longer and wider than the rear Wall, and the lower edges of said cover front and side walls being designed to overlap the upper edges of said body; a ilexible tongue attached to and depending from the rear wall of said cover, said tongue being removably positioned in said body and positioned to be longitudinally slidably retained between the body rear wall and the rear Wall of the cigarette package mounted in said body, the slidable nature of said tongue permitting the attached cover to move longitudinally when the hinged cover of the cigarette package therein is swung upwardly to an open position; and a lining of friction material on at least one of the inner surfaces of the cover walls adapted to frictionally engage the cover of the cigarette package mounted Within said case to insure the opening of said case and package covers together.

References Cited in the file of this patent K UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,941,458 

